Drive My Car

2022 - 3 - 28

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Image courtesy of "FRANCE 24"

'Drive My Car': Murakami adaptation by rising indie star wins Oscar (FRANCE 24)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car" is not your average road movie, instead taking viewers on a poignant three-hour journey into the psyches of two ...

"The reaction of the public, who often mention the themes of separation and grief in 'Drive My Car', made me realise that the film isn't just about pain, but above all about people who try to live a slightly better life despite their sadness, or perhaps because of their sadness." "In the adaptation, I wanted to see what Murakami's view of the world would look like on screen -- the deep despair and furtive hopes of the characters, which is something very universal," Hamaguchi said. On Sunday, it defeated a tough field of contenders that included "The Worst Person in the World" (Norway), "Flee" (Denmark), "The Hand of God" (Italy) and "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom" (Bhutan).

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Image courtesy of "Drive"

Saab in the spotlight: 'Drive My Car' nominated for best-picture ... (Drive)

A Japanese film that stars a red Saab 900 Turbo is in the running for Hollywood's most prestigious award.

The Saab is depicted as much a character in the film as the actors are, and is the location where much of the character connections are made and developed. Centred around a theatre director and his appointed chauffeur, who drives his car (the Saab) for him, the film uses the car as a sanctuary, a place where the principle characters, confined for long periods of time, are able to talk and work through their grief and relationships. One of the film's principal characters, and a device integral to the plot, is a red Saab 900 Turbo.

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Image courtesy of "Foreign Policy"

Oscars 2022: Best Picture Nominee 'Drive My Car' Could Change ... (Foreign Policy)

Japan's film industry has struggled through ups and downs since the Golden Age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. At times, movies like Ran (1985), ...

Much fuss has been made in recent years about the dominance of South Korean popular music and cinema in opposition to Japanese popular culture. But Hamaguchi doesn’t rely on the major film production conglomerates and doesn’t represent the standard world of Japanese cinema. It also has the chance to change Japanese cinema forever if the industry decides to grow. Meanwhile, film production committees in Japan hold to a narrow vision of the domestic market without looking to appeal to the outside world. Japan’s film industry has struggled through ups and downs since the Golden Age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. Erina Ito, a journalist and member of the Japanese Film Project, a nonprofit that researches and makes proposals to resolve issues with labor and gender inequality in the Japanese film industry, said that the nomination comes from both the talent of Hamaguchi and the great history of Japanese movies that made his works possible. But even just two years ago, Japanese commentators were staunchly pessimistic about Japan’s chances of producing an international hit like Parasite. Unlike Japan, South Korea has invested aggressively in its film and entertainment industries in the past few decades. Meanwhile, film production committees in Japan hold to a narrow vision of the domestic market without looking to appeal to the outside world. Japan’s film industry has struggled through ups and downs since the Golden Age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. And though the betting odds are against it, a win for the Japanese film could be just as revolutionary. Now with 10 best picture nominees instead of five, and several trailblazing Asian award winners on the books, including Chloe Zhao winning best director and Youn Yuh-jung winning an acting Oscar last year, a precedent has been set for Asian and Asian American nominees on the ballot at the Academy Awards, and for them winning. And though the betting odds are against it, a win for the Japanese film could be just as revolutionary.

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Image courtesy of "Kyodo News Plus"

Japan film "Drive My Car" wins best international feature at Oscars (Kyodo News Plus)

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car" wins best international feature at the 94th U.S. Academy Awards in Los Angeles, becoming the second Japanese ...

"Drive My Car" missed out on the best picture Oscar, although it made history as the first Japanese film to be nominated for the category. When the film was announced as the winner of the best international feature award, Hamaguchi, 43, hugged actors Hidetoshi Nishijima and Masaki Okada before going on stage. He finds solace in the company of a female chauffeur assigned to drive for him as he comes to terms with his loss. Japan's top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said, "We are very pleased and congratulate (those concerned) from our hearts. In the run-up to the Oscars, "Drive My Car" won the Golden Globe for best non-English language film in January and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for a film not in the English language in March. "We've got it," Hamaguchi said as he closed his speech by raising the Oscar statuette.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Japan cheers 'Drive My Car' Oscar win, hopes it will raise ... (Reuters)

"Given that the mainstay of the Academy Awards is American movies, I'm really happy that a Japanese film was able to win this prestigious award," said 60-year- ...

The film, which has garnered other prizes including a screenplay award at Cannes, became Japan's second regular winner in the International Feature Film category and the first since "Departures" in 2009. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

How 'Drive My Car' crashed the Oscars — with the help of film critics (Los Angeles Times)

The critical support for "Drive My Car," from Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, powered it to a surprisingly strong Oscar showing.

The three-hour Japanese drama has been a favorite of critics (including best of the year prizes from the Los Angeles Film Critics Ass n., the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics), and even made former President Obama’s list of the year’s best movies, since its Cannes Film Festival debut last year. Evidence of its unique international appeal came by way of the four Oscar nominations it received (best picture, directing, international feature film and adapted screenplay). Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi recognized himself in his protagonist, a man finding escape from unresolved tragedy through his work.

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